Adopted by the Billionaire✔️

[45]

After the chaos of the carnival and the cold intensity of the recovery, the estate finally began to feel less like a fortress and more like a home again. The air was clear, the summer heat had mellowed into a gentle breeze, and for the first time in a month, the "tactical alerts" were replaced by something far more important: Movie Night.
[POV: Ellie]
"No, Grant! We are not watching another action movie with explosions. I've had enough real-life explosions for the year!" I shouted, wrestling the remote away from him.
We were all piled into the oversized media room. It was basically a private theater with deep, velvet couches that felt like sitting on a cloud. Dad was sitting in his large leather armchair, a rare smile tugging at his lips as he watched us bicker.
"Come on, Ellie! John Wick is a classic!" Grant protested, clutching a massive bowl of buttery popcorn like a shield.
"I'm with the Missus," Parker said, surprisingly. He was leaning against the back wall, arms crossed, but he looked more relaxed than I'd ever seen him. "Something quiet. Maybe something... animated?"
I stared at him. "Parker? Did you just suggest a cartoon?"
He cleared his throat, looking suddenly very interested in the ceiling molding. "I find the physics in them... amusing."
"Fine! We're watching Ratatouille," I declared, clicking 'Play' before Grant could dive for the remote.
I hopped onto the couch next to Dad. Usually, I tried to act all grown up and independent, but tonight, I just wanted to be a kid. I curled up against his side, tucking my legs under me. He draped a heavy, knitted throw blanket over both of us and pulled me closer with his arm—the one that didn't have the heavy watch on it.
"You okay, baby girl?" he whispered, kissing the top of my head.
"Yeah," I breathed, snuggling into his sweater. It smelled like expensive cologne and home. "I'm really okay."
[POV: Antonio]
I looked down at Ellie, her small frame tucked securely under my arm. For weeks, I had been haunted by the image of her lying on that hospital gurney. My nights had been filled with cold sweat and the sound of gunshots. But here, in the dim light of the movie, listening to her soft breathing, the ghosts finally started to retreat.
Grant was sprawled out on the beanbag chair, throwing popcorn into the air and trying to catch it in his mouth—and failing miserably, much to Ellie's delight. Parker had eventually moved from the wall to the edge of the sofa, his eyes actually glued to the screen as a cartoon rat started cooking soup.
This was the "normal" I had fought so hard to give her.
"Dad?" Ellie looked up at me, her eyes reflecting the glow of the TV.
"Yes, Ellie?"
"Thanks for... everything. For bringing me home. And for keeping Grant and Parker."
I squeezed her shoulder gently. "There's nowhere else you belong, Eliana. And as for these two..." I glanced at the bodyguards. "I think they'd go on strike if I tried to fire them now."
"Too right, Boss," Grant mumbled through a mouthful of popcorn. "The benefits package is great, but the snacks are better."
[POV: Third Person]
The movie played on, a colorful blur of Parisian streets and cooking montages. The room was warm, filled with the sounds of crunching popcorn and occasional laughter.
As the credits began to roll, the energy in the room shifted from playful to peaceful. Grant had actually fallen asleep on his beanbag, his head tilted back and a faint snore escaping his lips. Even Parker had allowed himself to sit back, his guarded posture finally melting away into the soft cushions.
Ellie's head had dropped onto Antonio's shoulder. Her breathing was deep and rhythmic, the deep sleep of someone who finally felt safe.
Antonio didn't move. He didn't want to break the spell. He reached out and adjusted the blanket around her, tucking it under her chin. In this moment, he wasn't a Capo, and he wasn't a CEO. He was just a father watching over his sleeping daughter.
The world outside the estate was still dangerous. There were still enemies in the shadows and debts to be paid. But inside these walls, under the flicker of the TV screen, there was only peace.
Parker stood up quietly, nodding toward Antonio. "I'll take the first watch on the perimeter, sir. Let her sleep."
"Thank you, Parker," Antonio whispered.
Parker paused at the door, looking back at the sleeping girl and the man who would burn the world for her. "She's a good kid, Boss. She's got her father's heart."
"I hope not," Antonio murmured to the empty room as Parker stepped out. "I hope she stays exactly as she is."
He leaned his head back against the chair, closing his eyes. For the first time in a very long time, the King of the city fell asleep without a weapon in his hand, lulled by the silence of a house that finally felt like a home.
~ Return to normalcy at school ~
[POV: Ellie]
I stood in front of the full-length mirror, tugging at the hem of my school uniform. The white button-down felt stiff against my skin, and the plaid skirt was a far cry from the oversized hoodies I'd been living in during recovery.
I reached up, tentatively touching the spot on my shoulder where the fabric hid my scar. It didn't hurt anymore, but it was a permanent reminder that I wasn't the same girl who had walked out of these gates a month ago.
"You look like a normal kid," a voice drawled from the doorway.
I looked up to see Parker leaning against the frame, his sunglasses already on despite being indoors. "That's the point, Parker. I'm trying to be a normal kid."
"Normal kids don't have two SUVs and four armed men escorting them to the drop-off line," he pointed out.
"Can't we just... tone it down? Just for today?" I pleaded.
"The Boss says no," Parker said, though his tone was softer than usual. "But Grant and I will stay in the car. We'll be 'incognito' in the parking lot."
"Incognito? In a blacked-out Suburban?" I laughed, grabbing my backpack. "Good luck with that."
Downstairs, Dad was waiting with a travel mug of coffee and a look of intense concern. He hugged me tighter than usual. "Cell phone is charged? Emergency speed dial is set?"
"Yes, Dad. Three times over."
"Go. Be a student," he said, kissing my forehead. "But if anyone so much as looks at you wrong, you call Parker."
[POV: Third Person]
The ride to school was quiet. Grant was in the driver's seat, humming along to the radio, while Parker sat shotgun, his head on a swivel. They were both back in their professional "wall of muscle" mode, but as they pulled up to the familiar brick building of the private academy, Grant glanced at Ellie in the rearview mirror.
"You got this, kid. Just remember: you're tougher than anyone in that building."
Ellie took a deep breath, adjusted her backpack strap, and stepped out into the humid morning air.
The courtyard was buzzing with students. For a second, Ellie felt a wave of vertigo—too many people, too much noise. But then, a high-pitched scream pierced through the chatter.
"ELIANA!"
A blur of dark hair and neon-colored accessories slammed into Ellie, nearly knocking her over. It was Raevynn, her best friend since they were five.
"Oh my god, you're back! We thought you moved to Mars or joined a cult or something!" Raevynn pulled back, gripping Ellie's shoulders. "Your dad's office just said you were 'under the weather.' For a MONTH? What kind of flu was it?"
Ellie forced a smile, her heart racing. "Just... a really bad one, Rae. It took a while to get my strength back."
"Well, you look skinny. We're going to the cafeteria for extra fries at lunch," Raevynn declared, already hooking her arm through Ellie's.
"Hey."
A softer voice caught Ellie's attention. Standing a few feet away, looking slightly awkward with his hands shoved in his pockets, was Kyle. His hair was a bit longer than it had been a month ago, and his blue eyes were fixed on Ellie with an expression of pure relief.
"Hey, Kyle," Ellie said, feeling a flush creep up her neck.
"Glad you're back," he said, stepping closer. He didn't hug her like Raevynn did—he was always more careful—but he reached out and gave her hand a quick, supportive squeeze. "School was... really quiet without you."
"Quiet? It was boring!" Raevynn corrected. "Kyle spent half of history staring at your empty desk like a lost puppy."
"I did not," Kyle muttered, though his ears turned bright red.
[POV: Ellie]
Being with them felt like breathing fresh air after being underwater. Raevynn started gossiping about who started dating whom over the break, and Kyle told me about the project we had due in Science. For a few minutes, I forgot about the warehouse, the guns, and the cold feeling of Zach's betrayal.
I was just Ellie again.
As we walked toward the main entrance, I caught a glimpse of the black SUV parked at the far end of the lot. I saw the sun glint off a pair of sunglasses in the front seat.
Parker.
He was watching. They were always watching.
"Everything okay?" Kyle asked, noticing me looking toward the parking lot.
"Yeah," I said, turning back to my friends and stepping into the hallway. "Everything is perfect."
I felt a slight tug in my shoulder as I swung my backpack, a dull reminder of the secret I carried. My friends didn't know I lived in a world of shadows and sirens. They didn't know my father was a King of the underworld. And as I laughed at one of Raevynn's jokes, I decided that was exactly how I wanted to keep it.
For today, I wasn't a survivor. I was just a girl going to class with her best friends.
The cafeteria was a sea of plastic trays and teenage hormones, a far cry from the quiet, guarded halls of the estate. The smell of mystery meat and floor wax that hits me with a wave of nostalgia that felt almost dizzying.
As we sat down at our usual corner table, Raevynn immediately began dumping extra salt on her fries, her eyes darting around the room like she was scanning for enemy movement—though her "enemies" were just the popular girls at the next table.
"Okay, spill," Raevynn said, leaning so far across the table her necklace dipped into her ketchup. "A month? Was it mono? Did you go to some secret spa in Switzerland? Kyle thought you were kidnapped."
I choked on my water. Kyle, who was sitting right next to me, turned a deep shade of crimson and started intensely studying the ingredients on his juice box.
"I didn't say kidnapped," Kyle muttered. "I just said it was weird that your phone was off for a week."
"I just needed a break," I lied, my hand instinctively going to my shoulder. "Doctor's orders. No screens, lots of rest."
"Well, you missed a lot," Raevynn whispered, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial level. She glanced at Kyle, then back at me, her eyes shining with a strange intensity. "Like, a lot."
I watched her. Raevynn was usually an open book, but today she seemed... twitchy. Every time Kyle reached for a fry, she'd practically jump to hand him the container. When he laughed at something I said, she'd laugh a second later, just a little too loud.
It hit me then. The way she was tucking her hair behind her ear and leaning toward him. Raevynn likes Kyle. My stomach did a weird little flip—and not the good kind.
[POV: Third Person]
Kyle, oblivious to the silent tectonic shifts happening between the two girls, was focused entirely on Ellie. He'd spent thirty days wondering if she was ever coming back, and now that she was here, he couldn't stop looking at her.
"I kept your notes from History," Kyle said, pulling a neatly organized folder from his bag. "I even highlighted the parts Mr. Henderson said would be on the final. I thought... you know, since you were out, you might need them."
"Thanks, Kyle. That's really sweet," Ellie said, smiling at him.
Raevynn's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. She reached out and snatched a fry from Kyle's tray. "He was so obsessed with those notes, Ellie. He wouldn't even let me borrow them to study. Total favoritism."
She tried to play it off as a joke, but the edge in her voice was unmistakable.
Kyle shifted uncomfortably. "I just didn't want them to get wrinkled, Rae." He turned back to Ellie, his voice softening. "Are you... are you really okay? You look a little tired."
"I'm fine, really," Ellie promised.
As Kyle looked at her—really looked at her—Ellie saw it. It wasn't the look of a friend. It was the same look she'd seen in movies, the one that meant he'd been counting the seconds until she returned.
Kyle likes her.
[POV: Ellie]
The realization felt like a puzzle piece clicking into place, but it didn't fit the picture.
If Raevynn liked Kyle, and Kyle liked me... then I was the one standing in the middle of a mess I hadn't asked for. I looked at Raevynn, my best friend, the girl who had cried when I fell off the swing in third grade. Then I looked at Kyle, who had been my steady rock for years.
The "school drama" I used to find so silly now felt incredibly complicated. I had survived a kidnapping attempt and a gunshot wound, but sitting here in the middle of a secret love triangle felt just as dangerous in a completely different way.
"Hey, Ellie?" Raevynn asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You okay? You're staring at Kyle's juice box like it's going to explode."
"Oh! Sorry," I said, snapping out of it. "Just... lost in thought."
"We should go to the movies this Friday," Raevynn suggested, her eyes flicking between us. "The three of us. Like old times."
"I'm in," Kyle said immediately, looking at me.
"I'll have to ask my dad," I said, my heart sinking.
I knew what Dad would say. He'd say yes, but I'd have to go with two SUVs and four bodyguards. How was I supposed to navigate a secret love triangle while Parker was standing in the back of the theater with a night-vision headset?
[POV: Third Person]
As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, the three of them stood up. Kyle walked on Ellie's left, and Raevynn on her right, both of them subtly vying for her attention.
To anyone else, they looked like three normal teenagers. But beneath the surface, the tension was humming.
Outside, in the parking lot, the black Suburban sat like a silent predator. Inside, Parker adjusted his sunglasses, his eyes locked on the exit of the cafeteria.
"She looks stressed," Grant noted, leaning back in the driver's seat.
"She's a thirteen-year-old girl at a private academy," Parker replied dryly. "Stress is the primary language. But keep an eye on that boy."
"Kyle? He's a beanpole, Parker. What's he gonna do?"
"He's looking at her too much," Parker muttered, his hand resting on the door handle. "And the girl with the neon hair looks like she's about to start a fire. Teenage drama is more unpredictable than a cartel hit."
Grant laughed, shaking his head. "You're just cranky because you don't understand the 'vibe,' man."
"The 'vibe' is a security risk," Parker grumbled.
Ellie waved to them from the distance, a small, weary movement. She disappeared back into the building, caught between a best friend who was jealous and a boy who was in love, all while being watched by men who were paid to kill.
The "normal" life she wanted was turning out to be anything but.
The tension at the lockers was thicker than the history textbooks Ellie was trying to shove into her bag. Every time Kyle walked past, Raevynn's talkative streak died into a series of awkward stammers and intense hair-twirling.
Finally, as the last bell of the day echoed through the halls, Raevynn grabbed Ellie's wrist and hauled her into an empty music practice room.
[POV: Ellie]
"Okay, I can't breathe. I actually cannot breathe," Raevynn gasped, leaning her back against a piano. She looked like she'd just run a marathon, her neon-pink earrings swaying violently.
"Rae, what's wrong? Is it the flu? Are you sick?" I asked, genuinely worried.
"No! It's Kyle!" she hissed, her face turning a shade of red that matched her backpack. "Ellie, I think I'm dying. Every time he looks at me—well, every time he looks near me—my heart does this weird caffeinated squirrel dance."
My stomach dropped. I knew it. Hearing her say it out loud made the "secret" reality much heavier.
"You... you like him?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.
"I like-like him. I 'draw-his-initials-in-the-back-of-my-notebook' like him," she wailed, covering her face with her hands. "But he's so oblivious! And since you've been back, he's been acting all weird and protective. You don't... you don't like him like that, do you? I mean, you guys are just best friends, right?"
The question hung in the air like a tripwire. I looked at Raevynn—my best friend, who had been my only link to normalcy while I was bleeding in a hospital bed. Then I thought of Kyle's hand squeezing mine at the entrance, and the way he looked at me during lunch.
"We're just friends, Rae," I said, the lie tasting like copper in my mouth. "He's like... a brother. Mostly."
"Oh, thank god," she exhaled, sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. "Because if I had to compete with you, I'd just move to Alaska. You're like a mysterious movie character now. But since we're good... you have to help me. Friday night at the movies. You have to make sure I sit next to him."
I forced a nod. "I'll do my best."
[POV: Third Person]
Friday arrived with a looming sense of dread for Ellie. Usually, movie nights were simple, but tonight she was managing a tactical maneuver involving a love-struck best friend, a boy with a secret crush, and a protective father who had insisted on "discreet" security.
The "discreet" security turned out to be Parker and Grant in a nondescript silver SUV, parked three spaces away from the theater entrance.
"Remember," Antonio had told Ellie before she left. "If the lights go out and stay out, you move to the exit. If anyone follows you too closely, you alert Parker. And no sitting in the very back row."
"Dad, it's a PG-13 rom-com, not a mob summit," Ellie had groaned.
[POV: Ellie]
The lobby of the theater smelled like fake butter and floor cleaner. Raevynn was wearing a new leather jacket and enough glitter on her eyelids to be seen from space. Kyle was already there, wearing a fresh flannel shirt and looking nervous.
"Hey!" Raevynn chirped, practically bouncing toward him.
"Hey, Rae. Hey, Ellie," Kyle said. His eyes immediately locked onto mine, lingering just a second too long before he remembered to look at Raevynn.
"I got the tickets!" Raevynn announced, waving them around. "And I figured, since Ellie's still 'recovering,' she should have the aisle seat in case she needs to stretch her arm. So it'll be Ellie, then Kyle, then me!"
I saw Kyle's face light up at the idea of sitting next to me, while Raevynn beamed, thinking she'd successfully engineered a way to be in his orbit. My brain was doing rapid-fire math: If I sit on the aisle, Kyle is in the middle. Raevynn is on the other side of him. If he leans toward me, she'll see. If she leans toward him, I'll feel guilty.
It was a disaster waiting to happen.
We walked into the dark theater. I caught a glimpse of a tall figure in a baseball cap sitting three rows behind us. Parker. He wasn't even pretending to watch the screen; he was staring at the back of Kyle's head like he was deciding where to aim.
As the trailers started, the "maneuvers" began.
Raevynn kept "accidentally" reaching for the popcorn at the same time as Kyle. Kyle, however, kept shifting in his seat toward me, his shoulder brushing mine. Every time our arms touched, I felt a jolt of electricity—and a massive wave of panic.
"Is the seat comfortable, Ellie?" Kyle whispered, leaning close. His breath smelled like mint.
"Yeah, it's fine," I whispered back, staring straight at the screen where a giant cartoon panda was doing karate.
On my other side, I could feel the heat of Raevynn's frustration. She tried to strike up a conversation with Kyle about the previews, but he was too busy asking me if I needed a jacket because the theater was "kind of chilly."
[POV: Third Person]
From the back of the theater, Parker adjusted his earpiece. "Subject One (Kyle) is leaning into the target's personal space," he muttered into his collar.
"Relax, Parker," Grant's voice crackled in his ear from the SUV outside. "He's a kid. He's probably just trying to share his Twizzlers."
"He's within striking distance," Parker grumbled, his eyes narrowing in the dark. "And the blonde girl (Raevynn) looks like she's about to pour her soda on him. This is a high-stress environment."
Suddenly, the movie started. It was a cheesy romance about a girl who falls for her neighbor.
Ten minutes in, Kyle's hand moved toward the shared armrest between him and Ellie. At the same time, Raevynn's hand moved toward the armrest on his other side.
Kyle's fingers tentatively brushed against Ellie's.
Ellie froze. She looked at Kyle, who was looking at her with an expression of pure, terrified hope. Then she looked past him to Raevynn, who was staring at the screen with tears welling up in her eyes—not because the movie was sad, but because she had realized Kyle wasn't even looking at her.
Ellie pulled her hand away, tucking it into her lap.
[POV: Ellie]
I felt like I was being hunted, but not by Oliver's men. I was being hunted by the truth.
I looked at the exit sign, glowing red in the corner of the theater. For a second, I actually missed being in the hospital. At least there, the pain was simple. You took a pill and it went away. Here, I was hurting my best friend just by existing, and I was leading Kyle on just by sitting still.
"I... I have to go to the bathroom," I whispered abruptly, standing up.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Raevynn asked, her voice sounding small.
"No, I'm okay. Just stay here."
I hurried up the aisle, my heart pounding. As I pushed through the heavy doors into the bright, empty lobby, I didn't head for the bathroom. I headed for the front windows.
A shadow detached itself from the arcade machines. Parker was behind me in three seconds.
"What happened? Threat identified?" he asked, his hand already moving toward his jacket.
"No, Parker," I said, leaning my head against the cold glass of the window. "No threat. Just... high school."
Parker stood there for a moment, looking at me. He didn't say 'I told you so.' He didn't tell me to get back inside. He just stood like a silent, dark sentinel, giving me the only thing I really needed: a barrier between me and the rest of the world.
"It's harder than the bullets, isn't it?" he asked quietly.
"Way harder," I replied.